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The River and Ranges Winery Ride is back for a second year, giving cycling enthusiast a unique opportunity to chill out in a festival atmosphere with some of the world's best cyclists. Set among the rolling hills and valleys of Victoria's scenic Nagambie region, cyclists of all abilities are invited to come and join one of three intimate fun rides with members of Australia's Orica-GreenEdge pro-cycling team – including Simon Gerrans and Daryl Impey, who wore the Yellow Jersey at this year's Tour de France, and Matt Goss, who won Stage 4. But the fun isn't just for those on bikes, with live music, autograph signings, live interviews with the cyclists, local food and wine tastings as well as rides and face painting for the kids taking place at the festival village.

Partick Jonker is waiting for me outside the bakery in Yankalilla on South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula, his Specialized race bike with Campagnolo group set leaning against the wall. I unload one of Bike SA's free green flat bar hybrid bikes from the car, awkwardly fitting the front wheel with my cast-bound broken wrist. Bikes aside, we still make an odd pairing – a former Australian Olympic cyclist and Tour Down Under champion capable of maintaining insanely fast speeds for hours on end and me, a recreational touring cyclist who'll happily take as many coffee stops as I can possibly fit into a day's ride.

Victoria's High Country already has a reputation as Australia's premier cycling destination, but the region is about to go into bicycle overdrive as it prepares for what will be the country's biggest cycling festival with more than 50 events over three weeks. The inaugural Cycle Salute kicks off on October 18 with events running until to November 5, making it the largest non-pro cycling festival on the Australian calendar. Across the highlands and fertile valleys of North East Victoria, the region will go into party mode with thousands of recreational cyclists expected to visit and help kick-off the cycling season.

This takes speed dating to a whole new level. As part of the Sydney Rides Festival, not-for-profit group Earth Sessions will be running two bike dating evenings to help those who have a rather strong fondness for bikes connect with other bike-minded people. The first event is set to roll-off from Paddington Gates at Centennial Park tonight and registrations have proven to be so popular that a second event has already been organised for October 21.

It's not every day you will see women in evening gowns riding bikes alongside men in tuxedos, but that's exactly what will be happening at the Sydney launch of Variety Cycle later this month. The inaugural Variety Cycle – a challenging 3,716km ride over 26 days from Sydney to Uluru via Canberra, Melbourne and Adelaide – is set to ride in March next year and the childrens' charity Variety is looking for cyclists to take part.

Local knowledge is golden when it comes to cycle touring. Without the locals, you'd never find those hidden hot springs, narrow canyons, scenic paths or historical markings, and only a local can point you in the direction of the pub with the best hot meal in town. So when Cairns locals mapped out the Far North Wilderness Bike Tour – and eight day ride that raises funds for the Cairns and Far North Environment Centre (CAFNEC) – they knew how to put together a route that would show off the best of an already spectacular region.

Tour des Femmes is calling female cyclists to take part in this year's three-day ride through the picturesque Southern Highlands of NSW to raise funds to counter endometriosis and post natal depression.

This year's RACV Great Victorian Bike Ride is expected to sell out fast as one of the largest supported bicycle tours in the world returns to the Great Ocean Road in celebration of its 30th anniversary.

Cycle Traveller is the online bicycle touring blog for routes, maps, resources and news about cycling around Australia. Be inspired, connect with other cyclists and plan your adventure! Founded in 2012, the Cycle Traveller community is continually growing. If you have a story to tell, information to share or a question to ask, please contact us. You can share information via our forum, or send us an email. Happy riding!